Chard Trusted Providers
Chard Community Hub is developing a community‑based project offering quality‑assured and affordable care for local people, while providing training and support for the Trusted Providers who deliver it.
Our Living Well Connector
Meet Karen, our Living Well Connector at Chard Community Hub. Karen brings lots of local knowledge, direct care provider experience and a passion for supporting people to access quality, community‑based care.
Karen will be working closely with residents and Trusted Providers to help shape this evolving service and make finding and offering care easier and more connected.
To speak with Karen please email kwilde@holyrood.bep.ac or call 01460 923149.
The Chard Community Hub Trusted Local Providers Network (TLN) was developed from a shared belief that people should have more choice, control and flexibility over the care and support they receive in their own homes and communities.
The movement began with local self-employed providers who wanted to offer a more personal, flexible approach to care. Over time, Somerset County Council (SCC) recognised the value of this approach, helping bring like-minded people together who shared a commitment to providing personalised support within their local communities.
Having worked as a self-employed micro-provider for over 13 years and having seen families struggle trying to navigate care options available, I understand the importance of building trust, maintaining independence and ensuring people have access to support that meets their individual needs.
The network aims to connect residents and families with independent care and support providers, while offering providers opportunities for training, peer support, shared learning and professional development at a local level.
Our network includes people with experience and training in a range of services, including personal care, dementia support, palliative care, meal preparation, companionship, sitting services, shopping, domestic help, gardening and accompanying people to appointments and social activities.
How it works
At the heart of the TLP is the belief that people should have greater choice and control over their care and support.
Our Vision
To give local people more choice, confidence, and control over the care and support they receive while building stronger, more connected communities around them.
Our Aim
By bringing together Trusted Local Providers, Chard Community Hub, local organisations, volunteers, families, and community members, we aim to create stronger connections and make essential support easier to find, access, and navigate.
Customers and their families can meet directly with their chosen Trusted Provider, discuss their individual needs, and have a genuine say in how support is delivered. This creates greater continuity, flexibility, and personalised care that fits around the customer's lifestyle, preferences, and goals.
Our role is to connect individuals with trusted local providers whose skills and experience best match their requirements. Once a suitable connection has been identified, customers can contact their preferred provider directly and make informed choices about who supports them.
What we offer
Weekly drop in every Monday 10am - 2pm with our Living Well Connector
Share information and lists of Trusted Local Provider
Greater choice and control for individuals and families seeking support.
Opportunities to connect with providers offering personal care, companionship, practical assistance and social support.
Signposting to other community services and organisations.
Support and information for unpaid carers.
Peer support, networking and training opportunities for independent providers, Start-up information and advice
Help for providers to develop professional portfolios and demonstrate relevant documentation, such as DBS checks, insurance and training certificates.
Chard Community Hubs Thursday Social Group 3.15 pm - 17.00 pm offering activities like our monthly yoga sessions and opportunities to reduce loneliness through games, conversation, coffee, cake in a warm space
Trust, Quality and Confidence
All Trusted Local Providers commit to delivering safe, professional, and high-quality services while working in line with Somerset Council's "Doing It Right" quality assurance standards and code of conduct.
We encourage all providers to maintain a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates their professionalism and commitment to quality. This may include:
Public Liability Insurance
DBS Certification
Relevant qualifications
Training certificates
Professional references
Service information and policies
By making this information readily available, individuals and families can make informed decisions and feel confident in the support they choose.
Important: The network is a community information and connection service, not a care agency. Providers are independent and are responsible for their own services and agreements with customers.
Supporting the people who support others
The TLP not only supports local people receiving care but also supports the providers delivering it.
Members have opportunities to access:
Peer support
Information and guidance, start-up advice
Training opportunities
Community connections
Networking events
Signposting to relevant services and organisations
Working alongside Chard Community Hub, we are helping to strengthen community connections, sign positing and support pathways for older people, unpaid carers, families, and local providers. Our aim is to help people remain connected to their community, reduce loneliness and isolation, and make it easier for residents to access the support they need close to home.
The Trusted Local Providers Network is expanding beyond Chard, with new relationships developing in Ilminster and Crewkerne.
This growth will help create a wider network of trusted local support, offering greater choice and accessibility for people living across South Somerset.
We are also working to strengthen links with:
GP surgeries
Care homes
Community organisations
Voluntary groups
Unpaid carer support services
Health and wellbeing services
These partnerships enable us to signpost people to activities, services, information, and support pathways that help them remain independent and connected.
Our regular community activities provide opportunities for providers, clients, carers, and residents to meet, socialise, and build meaningful relationships in a friendly and supportive warm space.
Opportunities to Get Involved
We are fortunate to have a growing team of volunteers who generously contribute their skills, time, and experience to support the new social group at the hub.
The weekly social hub group, launched in June 2026, continues to grow and already includes:
Monthly Chair Yoga sessions
Community social activities
Information and advice opportunities/ sign posting
Planned free home-cooked meals, available to eat in or take away
These initiatives help strengthen community bonds while providing practical support reduce social isolation, promotes social connection, physical health, and emotional wellbeing
Ensuring the long-term sustainability of the network is a key priority.
We are exploring the development of a community-supported funding framework that would invite residents, businesses, and supporters to contribute through affordable monthly donations.
We hope that the wider community will recognise the value of having access to trusted, independent local providers and will help invest in a sustainable model that supports future care and wellbeing needs.
Currently, providers wishing to join the network complete a sign-up process and make an annual contribution of £50. We currently have 43 actively engaged providers, and recruitment remains ongoing.
By promoting the benefits of self-employment and offering guidance to new providers starting their journey, we aim to continue growing a strong, diverse, and skilled local workforce.
